Since I told all you readers what my brother wants for Christmas, I figure that it is only fair to make public the list I am sending to Santa. I am always slow at getting these things out, but I think that this year I'm doing pretty good at getting it out somewhat on time. So for all the Santas out there read on for some gift ideas....

An archival quality printer. My printer is the bane of my desktop existence. Take last night for example: I need to print some important invoices, only to find out that I can no longer run my printer's utilities, rendering my freshly bought $25 ink cartridge worthless. Now I can't print the color blue. Why must printing be so hard? Why do I have to spend an hour fixing my printer every time I print something? Why do I use half to three quarters of my ink cartridges in order to clean its nozzles? Why does it hate me so?

Wine glasses. Wine glasses break. Especially the nice ones. It's not like we are having Greek weddings over here, but lets just say that the dish rack has been a good testing ground for Darwin's theory. Only the strongest survive.

Flat things with words on them. These bits of literature want to be on my bookshelf: The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Shorto, Russell; Installationview by Ryan Mcginness; The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson; Cabinet Magazine; ReadyMade Magazine.

Pin hole lens. The coolness of a pinhole camera with the intelligence of modern camera. Well, a pretty modern camera. Heck, while I'm thinking about it, a digital camera would be an absurdly more expensive alternative.

Black leather gloves. My gloves tend to start disappearing in the end of winter. I don't know where they go, but I sure know that they are not in the drawer. I don't think that they are coming back.

A Dremel Tool and it's accessories. Sure I stole the idea from my brother. But I know a good idea when I see it.

Music. Lady Sovereign, Andrew Bird or anything reviewed at pitchforkmedia.com/best.

Outdoor supplies. If you feel that I spend too much time in cites, it is about time for me to get a new sleeping bag.

Art things. Here is a gift that keeps giving: silkscreens! Small 8x11 frames for making t-shirts. I don't have the tools to re-stretch used frames, so I am stuck buying new ones.

Craft, art and thrift store finds. This needs no explanation.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dremel 400 series XRP- 70 piece plus Mega accessories package 220pc
Dremel multi-Saw
Laser Level- Black and Decker Bulls Eye
Stud Finder

Power Sander
Cuisinart SS Grind & Brew 10 c. coffee maker
Gold coffee filter
Sonicare Toothbrush
250-300 thread count king size sheets in dark colors w/ about 6-8 reg size pillow cases
Novaform Elite Mattress topper
Wizardry PSII game
Athletic socks
Dark alliance II PSII game
Mach III razors
How we are Hungry by Dave Eggers
Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
Dad's old Tag Heuer that he doesn't wear anymore
American Classic 420 wheel
Velonews subscription
McSweeneys Subscription
City of God DVD
Urban Outfitters Gift certificate
Travel coffee cups
Luba by Petter Hegre
Sin City DVD-special edition
Claire Dolan DVD
Good drill bits
Championship of Namarth- PS2 game
Epson printer cartilages
Mustache bars
Trek Malone SL 5.0-54 cm
Camping pillows
Camping towels
Reston LLoyd Calypso Bascis Roasting Pan w/ wire rack
Ero Pro professional Fryer stainless steel 5qt
Stitch & Bitch beginners book orStitch And Bitch Nation book
Bambo or wooden knitting needles sizes 4-11
Ann Taylor Loft gift certificate
Anthropologie gift certificate
Santoku knife
Serrated utility knife
Chi ceramic straightning iron-try Ulta online
Urban Decay eyeshadow in browns and dark blues and blacks
Keils facial products
Hobobags.com
Rachel Ray Everyday subscription
Outside Subscription
Motorcycle Diaries DVD
Tank tops
Yoga pants
Venus razors

For the Pets:
Ruff travel bowl
Ruff wear knot-a-leash
Ruff Rider Dog Pack by granite gear 50-80 lbs (two of them)
Bags on Board bags and dispenser (two of them)
Dog-on easy Leash and wais belt system
Rawhide bones

Posted by Colin J Allen at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

No hints to be given at this time. They will be the coolest things ever.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My old dog Keiko, whom I gave up to move to New York has gone through a name change. She's now Molly. I learned today that the adoptive parents could not remember Keiko, so they just came up with something else.

But Molly? Can you even think of a worse name? My dog could be so many other better names than Molly. Buffy, Lexus, Liz, Frofawna, Dog, Buttsniffer, Renae, dang near any name other than Molly.

Sigh. I'll have to send a bone to Keiko/Molly come Christmas.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am finally happy with my room, after all these years. Sure as heck took a while to get everything in the right place, but it's done. The art is framed, the wall is painted, the amp is rocking, the computer is computing, the laundry laundered. My room is ready to be a part of the house tour. Good thing too, as Eric's parents are coming tomorrow.

The small things in life are the most important.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I would not be right to do seven posts in one day without talking about something analogue. This is is specifically for James Bakner, and for those of you who don't know of this character, let's just call him an advocate for things not digital.

I did purchase a record last Friday, from the American Analogue Set who played at Southpaw. I guess any band with that name is obliged to press some vinyl copies of their songs. Unsurprisingly, this album is not easily upload-able into iTunes. However, I have it all set up to do this. Maybe on some night when I'm feeling particularly dorky I'll do that. And this record was made with clear plastic just to add onto it's coolness meter.

Records. They do have a life outside of thrift stores.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

1. This American Life takes on Iraq, and things over there are, well, complicated. A land where we can't go and we can't stay. Listen to Glass's Strangers in a Strange Land.
2. I really need to do my laundry.
3. Boot cut jeans and boots really do go well together.
4. I still like my boots.
5. All reports received note that Harry Potter is in another great movie.
6. I'm moving to a different neighborhood come spring.
7. Watching shellac dry is vaguely interesting.
8. Building a better dish rack is a fun thing to do.
9. Anything that involves power tools is a fun thing to do.
10. While theoretically possible, I can't figure out a safe way to saw a bowling ball in half with said power tool in my apartment.
11. If I had a shop I could saw bowling balls.
12. It is probably a good thing I don't have a shop or a garage.
12. A good name for a band would be the 'Yo Mammas'

Posted by Colin J Allen at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Success. I have circumvented the framing people. I have two semi-professionally framed pieces of art on my walls, after spending Sunday afternoon cutting various boards into rectangles with a very fancy framing tool that Eric has—artists always seem to have useful but random tools like this. I might even go crazy tonight and frame one more piece tonight, just because it is so easy.

Those framing people, man, I tell ya, they have themselves a racket. It is absurd how expensive they are. I did the same thing they do for one-tenth the cost. One-tenth of the cost! Sure it is worth getting a frame professionally done if you have a valuable piece of artwork, but if you have something you like enough to put it under glass, you can do it just as well and just as safely as THEM. Mind you, there are good framers out there whom I urge you to use if you can, but a little bit of DIY is good for the soul—and the wallet.

Maybe I should start a framing and furniture store. Anyone want something framed? I promise to overcharge you.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 3:10 PM | Permalink

I hear from my friend Justin, with whom I brewed beer with this Sunday, that you can get yourself a propane burner for $40 at the local Target, on sale for a limited time only. This is what I am talking about LINK, at a bit less of a bargain.

For those who are in the know, this is the best way to cook a turkey: the deep fat fry. The oil actually does not go into the turkey, rather it seals in all the juicy goodness in a crisp shell, leaving you with the juiciest chicken you have ever eaten. YUM. It just does not get better, unless you decide to stuff the turkey with a duck and the duck with a chicken. YUMMIER.

There is a problem though. I have the logistical difficulty of living in the fourth floor of an apartment building. While this gives me a great view of the Empire State Building, my accommodations are not the most suitable for boiling oil at some ungodly hot temperature. Plus I doubt that my 'Sup would be too happy to see an canola fireball erupting from the bottom of the stoop. Nor would it be a good idea to have the fry on the tar covered roof...

Fortunately, Eric's mom is making the turkey this year.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I somehow got distracted last week from doing any posts. It was just a huge case of writers block. I'm sorry about that, and to make it up to you, I am going to attempt to have seven posts today. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am just going to dive right back into the water here, and my put the fingers to the board.

This post is numero uno. I find that I can spend hours writing about my inability to write. I will refrain from doing so right now, as said writing is usually only interesting to myself. It beats the alternative though, starring at a blinking cursor waiting for illumination to hit. That's just frustrating and boring at the same time. Let's not write about that either. Shoot at this rate, I am going to have to start thinking of things to write.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I bought boots yesterday. Not cowboy shit kickers, but engineer boots, a.k.a motorcycle boots. Many moons ago, I had used to wear some, but technically, the were my brother's. He called me on that technicality, and now those guys are in Colorado. It took me this long to get my own, but I finally got 'em. And this makes me happy.

There is something innately satisfying with boots. I think that this is because they make the wearer feel like a bad ass. Not that there is any significant correlation between bad-assness and bootness, but chi square must drop down a few points. Ignore that last sentence if you don't know stats. I think I just lost any gains to my bad-assness by writing that.

Ahem. Anyhow, boots are nifty. If you happen to find yourself getting a pair, I learned a useful trick you should know. If you can't slip on your boot, try it again with a plastic bag around your foot. I tell ya, it works better than a shoehorn. It is like you are wearing butter socks, just without all the mess. Those guys in shoe stores know what they are talking about. I bet you could talk to them for hours about the art of stringing your shoelaces in new and creative ways.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 6:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My throat is a little ripped up today after I spent a solid two to three hours in Harlem motivating the marathon runners as they reached the last few final miles of the race. It was a great way to spend a Sunday. It is a great feeling to be rooting for the runners at that spot, because from my memories of running this race two years ago, that is where you need people to cheer you on to get that second wind—or third—to finish up the race.

The gawkers like myself were spread out enough that the runners could actually hear us individually cheering them on. It was an ideal spot to be cheering. I saw a good number of runners kick in into gear after hearing a little bit of shouted motivation. That is a what it's all about. To top it off, my teacher friend's high school band played Eye of the Tiger and other cheesy motivating songs in that classic way only high school bands can do.

Marathon day is certainly one of the best days of the year. It is almost inspirational enough to schedule six months of training to do it again.

Almost.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 6:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Eid mubarak ho! Congratulations to anyone who is celebrating the end of Ramadan today. Sadly, I must admit that I did not know of this holiday until I heard about it on the radio this morning. Hence, if you feel like learning something multicultural, LINK. Considering that I often find myself reading about local Iraqi politics on my morning commute, I figure it's good to know what the Muslim holidays are. In related news, I suspect that my newspaper guy at my subway stop is Muslim as I couldn't get a paper this morning. Does that mean he works on Christmas?

Posted by Colin J Allen at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I saw this good movie last night, The Squid and the Whale. It is a very good movie about two brothers growing up in Park Slope Brooklyn in the 80s while their parents are going through a divorce. I'll leave others to do a proper review, but it is worth your time to go see it in your local arty theater.

In one part of the movie, some of the characters go to the movies. The screen flips entirely over to a scene in a classic 80s movie. You are watching the movie just like the characters are. But the thing is, the theater the characters were watching the movie, the Prospect Pavilion, was the same one I was actually in. For that brief moment, the characters and I were all sitting together in the same theater watching the same film. Heck, any of you who see the movie, will inadvertently find yourself in the same Prospect Pavilion seats.

I'm not sure what you would call that—existential, deja vu, mis en scene?—but I know that's never happened to me before. Maybe these things happen all time in L.A.

Posted by Colin J Allen at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)